Bung-key.



R. STCK.

BUNG KEY.

Arruoulou Hum un. '1, 1910.

\` Patented 001;. 17, 1911.

N11 Aw e NT FFI@ ROBERT STOCK, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ROBERTSTOCK MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OFNEW YORK.

BUNG-KEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1911.

To all whom lt may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT STOCK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Bling-Keys, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved key for manipulating the bungs ofbeer barrel bushings.

The keys for operating the bungs of beer barrel bushings have heretoforeusually been so constructed that upon withdrawing the key from the bungafter the latter has been tightened in the bushing, the bung would oftenbe loosened owing to the excessive friction between the handle and thebung which is produced by the wedge action of the cooperating surfacesof the bung. Such partial loosening of the bung is objectionable for thereason that it results in leakage.

In practice it is desirable to retain the key and bung in a connected orinterlocked condition inasmuch as the introduction and removal of thebung can by this means be effected by one hand without the liability ofthe bung dropping from the key, leaving the other hand of the operatorfree for other work.

It is the object of this invention to provide a key for bungs whichpermits of reliably and securely connecting the'key and the bung whilemanipulating the latter but which permits of easily detaching the keyfrom the bung when this isrequired.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section showingmy improved key applied to a beer barrel bung. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsection taken at right angles to Fig. l, Fig. 3 is a face view ofthebushing and bung from the inner end thereof showing the position of thebung relatively to the bushing when the same is passed into and out ofthe bushing. Fig. l is a similar view showing the position of thebushing and bung when these parts are interlocked. Figs. -5 and 6 arecross sections in lines 5 5 and 6 6, Fig. l, respectively.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views.

A represents a hollow circular bushing which 1s screwed by means of athread on `it-s periphery into an opening in the barrel B and which isprovided at its outer end with an external flange a bearing against theouter side of the barrel and at its inner end with an internal annularflange a. 0n diametrically opposite sides the internal flange of thebushing is provided with notches c, c extending from the bore of thisfiange but stopping short of the bore of the bushing.

E represents a circular bung adapted to coperate with the bushing andprovided on diametrically opposite sides of its inner end with laterallyprojecting locking lugs or wings e, e and at its outer end with anannular flange e.

F represents a washer or packing ring of rubber orother elastic materialarranged on the periphery of the bung and bearing against the inner sideof its external flange. In applying this bung to the bushing the same ispassed inwardly through the bushing lwhile its lugs e are in line withthe notches of the bushing, so that the lugs pass through the notches cuntil said lugs are arranged beyond the innerside of the bushing and thepacking ring F bears with its inner side against the outer side of theinternal flange a of the bushing. After the bung has been thusintroduced into the bushing the same is turned in the direction of thearrow, Fig. 3, whereby the lugs of the bung are caused to rise uponinclined faces g formed on the inner end of the bushing and thereby movethe bung inwardly and compress the packing ring between the flanges a, eof the bung and bushing for `forming a tight closure betweenthese parts.lThe bung is prevented from being turned in the wrong direction afterbeing passed inwardly through the bushing by means of a pair of stoplugs g which are arranged on those sides of the notches opposite thelower ends of the inclines.

My improved key for holding the bung while introducing or removing thesame from the bushing and while tightening or loosening the same in thebushing and those parts of the bung which are adapted to receive thishandle or key are constructed as fol lows z-Centrally on its outer sidethe bung is provided with a key seat or socket composed of acomparatively large central cylindrical part Z and two narrow side partsZ radiating from opposite sides of the central part t'. On oppositesides of each narrow part of the key seat, the bung is provided withundercut looking recesses J forming inwardly facing shoulders y' on theouter sides of said recesses and abutments j at the back thereof, asshown in Figs. 1, 5 and 6.

K represents the shank or body of the bung operating and holding keywhich is preferably of cylindrical form and provided on opposite sidesof its inner or front end with laterally projecting wings or lugs Z, Zwhile its outer or rear end is provided with a transverse handle orfinger piece m. Upon placing the key with its shank in line with thecentral wide part of the socket and its wings in line with the narrowside parts thereof and then moving the key forward the shank and wingswill pass into the socket.- Upon now turning the key in the direction ofthe arrow, Fig. 5, its wings will be carried into the respectiveundercut recesses and engage with the backs thereof, thereby causing thebung to be turned and its lugs c, e to become interlocked with theinclines g of the bushing. For detaching the bung the key is turned inthe opposite direction, so that its wings enter the opposite recess ofthe socket and engage with the backs of the same.

The thickness of the wings lengthwise of the aXis of the key is lessthan the depth of the socket of the bung, so that the wings do not bindin the recesses of the socket upon turning the key in the socket eitherwhen tightening or loosening the bung, thereby preventing the wings frombecoming pinched or wedged so tightly in the socket as would be liableto cause loosening of the bung upon retracting the key after the bung isclosed and also prevent easy detachment of the key fromk the bung.v Theshank and finger piece of the key are preferably formed in one piece butthewings are made separate therefrom and connected therewith by anexter*nally screw threaded stud Z arranged on the outerside of the centralpart k o'f the wings or lugs and engaging with an internally screwthreaded socket Z2 in the inner end of the shank and across pin Z3extending throughwthe shank and stud, as shown in Figs. land 2.

In order to permit the wings of the key to thus loosely engage therecesses ofthe socket and still permit of'reliably holding the bung onthe key so that these parts will remain assembled and permit ofmanipulation thereof by one hand, a yielding preissure or grippingdevice is provided which preferably consists of a friction member orpressure sleeve N slidable on the inner or front part of the shank, atubular casing 0 surrounding the shank and having its inner or front endoverlapping the outer end of the pressure sleeve so as to form atelescopic joint therewith, an internal ange p arranged at the cuter endof the casing and engaging with an inwardly facing shoulder g on theouter part of the shank, and a spring 1" surrounding said shank andbearing at its inner or front end against the pressure sleeve while itsouter or rear end bears against the internal flange 10 of the casing. Bythis means the bearing or pressure sleeve is yieldingly held in itsforemostposition, the movement of the pressure sleeve in this directionbeing limited by the coupling lugs or wings Z, Z which serve as stopsfor this purpose. n j Y Upon inserting the key into the socket of thebung the pressure sleeve by engaging with the outer side of the bung isvretracted on the shank of the key which increases the strain or tensionon the spring r, so that upon turning the key and engaging its wingswith a pair of the locking recesses, `these wings will be heldfrictionallyrby spring pressure on their inner 4sides against the outer.sides 7' of the recesses. This pressure is sufliciently greatto holdtheA bung reliably on the key, so that it will not drop off during theordinary vhandling of the same by the operator in applying the bung toor removing the same `from the bushing and also to permit ofeasilyconnecting and Adisconnecting the key and bung. vThis pressure is,however, sufficiently light to permit the key to be turned backwardlyafterthe bung has been `tightened in the bushing without causing thelatter to turn backwardly with the key, thereby avoiding loosening ofthe bung and consequent leakage.

I claim as my invention K H i j j l. A bung key having a shank providedwith a laterally projectingnwing adaptedto engage with anundercutsocketlin aubung, and a yielding pressure device mounted4 on thekey and adapted to be strainedy uponV inserting said key into saidsocket, saidV presysure Y device comprising atubulhar 'friction memberguided on said shank ,andralapted to engage its inner end with the`4outer side ofsaid bung, and a spring mountedgon said key adjacent l tosaid .friction member `.and operating to hold the latter yielding'ly inits projected position. N j Y 2. A bung key having a shankprovided witha laterally projecting wing adapted to engage with an undercut socketvina bung, and a yielding pressuredevice mounted on the key and adapted tobe strained-uponinserting said key into said socket, 'saidpressuredevice comprising a sleeve guided on said shank and adapted to engage atits said sleeve and at its outer end against said inner end with theouter side of said bung, flange of the easing. a tubular casingsurrounding the shank and Witness my hand this 23rd day of Febextendingat its inner end over said sleeve ruary, 1910. and provided at its outerend with an inter- ROBERT STOCK. nal flange which engages Wit-h ashoulder on Witnesses:

THEO. L. POPP,

ANNA HEIGIS.

said shank, and a spring surrounding said shank and bearing at its innerend against Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

